THE THIRD FLOOR - THE GREAT MASTERS OF VIENNESE MUSIC TRADITION
Vienna's worldwide reputation as a city of music has been primarily shaped by the musical genius of some renown composers.
Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Johann Strauss, Gustav Mahler, the Second Viennese School of Arnold Schönberg, Alban Berg and Anton Webern - all of them are introduced in their contemporary environment on the history level through historic documents, models, costumes, modern installations and personal items. Films and databases provide the focus of the setting and intensify the edutainment experience.
The Virtual Conductor
Have a go at conducting the Vienna Philharmonic! Each visitor has a chance to do this with the Virtual Conductor. The musicians obey the visitor, follow the tempo and rhythm of the baton. They are happy to reward you with applause. However, the orchestra's patience is not without its limits.
NAMADEUS - Mozart's Musical Game
"NAMADEUS," the interactive computer programme based on Mozart's musical game KV 516f offers visitors the opportunity to playfully turn their names into original Mozart interpretations. Created for his piano student Franziska von Jacquin in 1787, the musical game KV 516f presents Mozart's setting to music of the alphabet. The system can be applied to any given combination of letters and allows for great melodic variety.
SOUND:CARPET
Austrian artist and designer Gilbert Bretterbauer refashioned the museum's monumental "Sound:Carpet" which covers 700m2 of exhibition space. Like much of Gilbert Bretterbauer's work, the carpet is located at the interface of art and design. It operates as a functional floor object, while proposing an expanded understanding of art.
Inspired by classical music and books about influential composers such as Gustav Mahler, Gilbert Bretterbauer ventured on filling A3 sheets of paper with colourful ornaments. To the tunes of symphonies, the droning sound of airplanes and in the midst of continuous travelling, Bretterbauer visualized marching bars as ciphers, transformed Schubert-themes into chequered waves and expressed abrupt rhythmic changes as visual transitions. A poly-design of colourful patterned segments counters the polyphony of Mahler's Tenth Symphony...
While visitors can explore the museum on the final "Sound:Carpet" design, a limited edition of design sketches can be purchased at our shop.
